Locomotive-stoker



N. M. LOWER.

LOCOMOUVE STOKER. v APPLICATION FILED SEPT-16, 19H- IENE WED DEC- 27|1920. I

Patented Mal-.15, 1921 4 SHEETS-SHEET I N. M. LOWER. LOCOMOTIVE YSTOKER.

nzuswzn nzc. 21. 1920.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. I9. 1,371,252.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z- J 7%)" anfffa d r v q ewiiak N M LOWER LOCOMOTIVESTOKER. APPLICATION FILED szrnzs. m4. nenswso 05c. 21. 1920.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921;.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a. Q O

h m 722/ 71% MkQi ZYfDa/Qr 57 i N. 'M. LOWER.

LOCOMOTIY E STOKER. APPLICATION man SEPT-26,1914. RENEWED 05c. 21. 1920.

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Application filed September 26, 1914, SeriaLNo.863,622. Renewed December 27, 1920. Serial No. 433,560.

UNITED STATES PATENT o FIc STOKER COMPANY, OF SCHENEGTADY, NEW YORK,

SYLVAN 1A.

A CORPORATION OF PENN- LOCOMOTIVE-STOKEB.

1T all whom it may concert:

Be it known that I, NATHAN citizen of the United States, of Pittsburgh,county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Locomotive-Stokers, of which the following isa specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to mechanical stokers for locomotives, the meansfor transferring fuel from the M. LOWER, a and resident locomotivetender, elevating it, and delivering it to the fire-box of thelocomotive, and to mechanism for operating the transferring andelevating means.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and effective apparatusof the general character. described, which shall occupy but small spaceand be easily operated and regulated. A further object is to providesimple and efficient means for arresting extraneous matter which may beintermixed with the fuel, and for reducing the fuel to suitable size.

The invention consists of various parts and arrangement of parts ashereinafter described, and as shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a detail longitudinal vertical section through therear portion of a locom0* tive and the forward portion of its tender,some portions of the stoker mechanism being shown in section and someportions in elevation;

Fig. 2 shows in outline the rear end of a "locomotive and in verticalsection the elevating portions of the stoker mechanism, the motor fordriving the stoker being-shown in elevation; Fig. 3 is a detail verticalsection of a portion of one part of the elevating mechanism and theregulating means therefor," v

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on theline 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 ofFig. 4; Figs. fija'nd 7are similar views showing the arts in different positions;

F g: 8 is a ,sectional detail on itheline 8-8 of Fig. 2; j-

Fig. 9 is a "sectional detall 'on the l1ne Specification of LettersPatent.

and;

and more particularly to.

preferably diverging,

Patented Mar. 15, 1921 9-9 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 10 is a detail section onthe line 10-10 of Fig. 1.

The cab of a locomotive is represented at 15, the rear wall of itsfire-box at 16, and its deck floor at 1.7. The forward endof alocomotive tender is shown at 18, and its deck or shovel floor at 19. Afuel-receiving hopper 20'is adapted to be located below the deck of thetender and to receive fuel through a suitable opening therein. Forconvenience in feeding the hopper the floor opening in the deck 19 iscovered by a plurality of movable plates, as 21, 22 -and 23. By removingone of the plates or by shifting the position of the plates the fuel maybe Y and -.ber 25. A plurality of elevating tubes, here shown as two innumber and designated 26, 27, lead upwardly from the chamber 25, asshown. Discharge conduits 28, 29, lead laterally from the upper ends ofthe tubes 26, 27, and through the rear wall 16 of the fire-box. Theseconduits may be equipped with any desired form of injecting means forscattering or otherwise distributing the fuel over the grate of thefire-box. As such injecting .devices form no part of the presentinvention they are not shown.

A screw conveyer, shownas comprislng formed integral therewith, there.

two sections 30, 31, mounted upon a single shaft 32, is located withinthe hopper 20 and transfer tube 24.. This conveyer is shown asnon-continuous or sectional, for the purpose of'providing space for aplurality of vanes 33 carried by the shaft and cooperating with aplurality of fingers 34 for crushing the fuel, and for stopping anyextraneous material of large size, such as pieces of metal which mayinadvertently be intermixed therewith; these vanes being made of suchstrength that they will either reduce any such material or will stop thedriving motor, in which event the operator will remove by hand theclogging material.

To facilitate this removal the fingers 34 roject through suitableapertures in the shell of the hopper 20, and are carried by a ment.

rocker shaft 35, journaled parallel with the tube 24- and provided atits forward end with a crank-arm 36, to which there may be applied asuitable tool, such as the lever used for shaking grates, the deck ofthe the vanes 33 have inc pose of contributing to the advancemovelVithin the tubes 26, 27, there are located screw conveyers 38, 39.The receiving chamber 25 -is preferably. of small capacity, so that thematerial advanced by the screw 31 is forced into the lower ends of thetubes 26, 27, whereby the transferring screw as sists the elevatingscrews in the performance of their function, overcoming the. tendencyof'the material to rotate about the axes of the latter withoutadvancing, due to its weight and the frictional resistance.

In order to permit the relative movementof the locomotive and tender inall directions, due to'inequalities in the track and to the draw-baraction, without injury to the transferinechanism carried in part byboth,

- the hopper is supported in a sultable swin mg stirrup 40; the forwardend ofthe tu e p the mechanism is employed, and suitable.

24 is united to the chamber 25 by and the shaft 32 casing of thereceiving is provided with a universal joint 42.

, The conveying and elevating screws may be driven, either continuouslyor intermit+ tently, by any suitable motor, and there is shown for thisgine 43, served with steam through a pipe 44.' Preferably theintermittent action of mechanism for securing such action is'shown 1nthe drawings. The piston rod 45 ofthe fnotor is provided with a gearrack 46 which I reciprocates in suitable ways,- as 47, and

' 38, 39, are. tubular, and'are shafts-50, 51'

mes spectively upon the lower ends of the 50, 51, urnaIed u on the axesof the tubes 26, 27. One set 0 gear teeth on the rack es with spiralpinions 48, 49, fixed, re-

46 meshes with a pinion 52 loosel mounted on the forward end of the shat 32, and" driving this shaft through the medium of a the pinion and a54 keyed to the elevating screws springpawl 53, carried by cooperatingratchet wheel shaft. The shafts of the which are in drivingconnecthroughthe medium ofsuittlon therewith a ball and socket joint 41,

purpose a -recipro'cating en-- shaftsv of the pivot 64,

which covers the upper end of the tube 26.

sleeved upon the I 55 keyed upon the upper end of the shaft 51,

a pawl 56 ratcliet wheel 58 fixed. upon the tubular shaft 59 whichcarries the screw 39 of the conveyer or elevator, and a spring 60anchored to the crank-arm and holding the pawl in engagement with theratchet. This pawl and ratchet mechanism is located at the upper end ofthe elevator, and is inclosed within a casing 61.

The conveyer or elevator 38 is shown asof larger size than the elevator39, and hence, when driven at the same speed, has a larger capacity, andis capable of taking up more than one half of the fuel delivered by theconveying or transfer screw. As the two elevators receive from the samechamber and. remove the fuel as rapidly as it is delivered thereto, thework performed 'by each may be varied by the regulation of one. Byvarying the action ,of the larger elevator the work'performed by bothmay be made pivoted at 57 to the crank arm, a

equal; or by reducing or increasing the effectivenes's of the largerelevator more or less work may be imposed upon the smaller.The-regulation of the'delivery to different zones ofthe-fire box isthereby efl'ected. To this end an adjustable pawl lifter is provided inconnection with the ratchet mechanism for driving this elevator, wherebythe screw mayebe actuated during the complete power stroke of the rackbar 46, or during only a portion thereof. The ratchet mechanismassociated with this larger elevator isillustrated in Figs. 4,

' 5, 6 and 7. A crank-arm 62 is keyed upon the shaft 50 at the upper endof the tube- 26. A pawl 63 is pivoted at 64 to the arm 62, andcotiperates with a ratchet wheel 65 fixed upon the upper end of thetubular shaft 66 which carries the elevating screw 38. A spring 67,anchored upon the crankarm 62, 1s attached we post 68 rising from a In69-on-the pawl 63 and projecting beyon the end of the arm '62. Therocking of the pawl upon the pivot'64 will carry the post'68 across thecenter line of the crank arm and to the opposite sides of the center wereby the awl is held, by the actionof the spring, 'eit er in or out pof engagement with the ratchet wheel.

e trip or pa-wl lifter comprises a lug 70, rising from an' arm 71carried by an annuturning about a hub on the cap 73 A handle 74, fixedto an arm 75 projecting from the annulus 72, afl'ords means foroscillating the latter to move the trip lu 70 to the desired position. Aspring latch 6, car 'ried by the arm 7 5, coiiperates with a"quad rant77 formed on the cap 73 for holding the stop lug 7 O in the be adjusted.

' The pawl 63 is provided with a pair of cam shoulders 78, 79, locatedupon opposite sides of the pivot 64 and coijperating with the stop lug70. As the pawl is advanced,

being in engagement with, the ratchet, itsmovement of the shaft 50 beingwithout load. .Upon the retraction of the pawl by the turning of theshaft 50 in the opposite direction, the cam shoulder 78 passes inside ofthe stop lug 70, but the cam shoulder 79 engages this lug and the pawlis thereby swun to throw its nose toward the ratchet, and t is movementis completed by the action of the spring 67. Upon the further retrogrademovement of the shaft 50 the pawl clicks over the ratchet teeth. By themanipulation of-the handle 74, therefore,

'the travel of the elevating screw may be varied through a considerablerange for the purpose of regulating the quantity of fuel delivered tothe fire-box thereby without manually changing the action of the dri t.-

ing motor.

In order to maintain, a uniform rate of delivery. of fuel from thetender to the fire box a suitable governor is provided for regulatingthe engine, and is provided with means for varying ihs governing actionwhereb the rate of fuel delivery may be control ed. The governor is hereshown as comprising a pair of weights 80, 81, pivotally mounted upon theupper end of the shaft 50, and acircumferentially channeled sleeve 82slidably mounted on the shaft and held in engagement with lugs 83, 84,on the weights by means of a spring 85 reacting against a nut 86, bymeans of which its tension may be adjusted for varying the speed atwhich the governor will act. -A lever 87 pivotally mounted .upon the cap88 which incloses' the ratchet and governing mechanism, is provided witha yoke 89 engaging the channel of the sleeve 82,-the outer end of the"lever being attached to the stem 90 ofa valve in the steam pipe 44.Should the speed of the shaft 50 increase beyond the desired rate, thecentrifugal action of the governin weights reduces the 'steam supply, 0cking the speed. This acceleration of speed is apt .to occur when theratchet is position to which it may tripped early in the stroke and theload upon the motor thereby reduced.

As the engine actuates the conveying and elevating means in onedirection of piston stroke onl the action of the screws is intermittent.hen the steam is throttled by the governing valve the engine strokes areslower, as more time is required to fill'the cylinder, though the rangeof movement of the conveying screw and consequently the amount of fueladvanced to the elevating screws, by each .piston stroke at all enginespeeds.

While I have shown and described an operative embodiment of theinvention and the most desirable construction-at this time known to me,various changes may be made without de arting from the scope of theinvention. hile there is shown mechanism for driving the transfer andelevating screws intermittently, various features of the invention arenot dependent upon this action but may be employed in connection withother types of motors and transfercated below the deck of a locomotiveand are constant its tender, a plurality of elevating means receivingfrom the transferring mechanism and adapted to deliver fuel to thefire-box of the locomotive, and means for'relatively varying the actionof theelevatin means.

2. In a locomotive stoker, in com ination, fuel transfer mechanismadapted to be located below the deck of a locomotive and its tender, anda plurality of. elevating means differing in capacity, receiving fromthe transferring mechanism and adapted to deliver fuel to the fire-box of-the locomotive, and means for varying the action of the elevatin meansof greater capacity.

3. n a locomotive stoker, in combination, a receiving chamber adaptedto-be located below the deck of a locomotive, transfer mechanismfordelivering fuelt o the chamber under .ressure, and a plurality of screw.elevators eading from the chamber and adapted to deliver independentl tothe locomotive fire-box, and locate outside thereof.

4. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a pair of elevators differingin capacity adapted to deliver'fuel to the fire-box,of a

locomotive, and means for varying'the relative rate of delivery thereby.

5. In alocomotive stoker, in combination, a pair of elevators differingincapacity adapted to deliver fuel to the fire-box of a locomotive, andmeans for varying the rate of delivery of one of the elevators.

6. In a locomotive stoker, combination,"

a pai rwof elevators differing in capacity adapted to deliver fuel tothe fire-box of a locomotive, and meansfor varying, the rate of deliveryof the elevator of the larger capacity. Y

7. In a locomotivestoker, in combination, a transferring screw, anelevating screw receiving from the transferring screw, a singlepower-actuated reciprocating rack-bar, and gears associated with the twoscrews and meshing with the rack-bar.

8. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a rotatable element forelevating fuel,

an oscillatable shaft, a ratchet wheel mounted with the rotatableelement, an arm fixed on the oscillatable shaft, a pawl pivoted to theoscillatable shaft, a pawl pivoted to the arm, and cooperating with theratchet, a retractile spring attached to, the arm and to 'the pawl onradially -opposite sides of the pivot of the latter, shoulders on thepawl on cir cumferentially opposite sides of its pivot,-

. and an adjustable trip engageable by said shoulders in alternation forrocking the pawl-on its'pivot. 10. In a locomotive stoker, incombinatlon, a screw conveyer, revolving crusher vanes receiving fromthe conveyer, stationary abutments located between the vanes, means forwithdrawing the abutments from such position and means for deliveringfuel from such crusher mechanism to the firebox of a locomotlve.

11. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a screw conveyer, revolvingcrushervanes recelving from the conveyer, a rocker shaft parallel withthe conveyer, abutments carried by the shaft and extending into thespaces between the vanes and means for delivering fuel from such crushermechanism to the fire-box of a locomotive.

12. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a screw conveyer, revolvingcrusher vanes receiving from the conveyer, a rocker shaft I parallelwith the conveyer, abutments'carridby the shaft and extending into thespaces between the vanes, means for rocking t e shaft, and means fordelivering fuel fromsuch crusher mechanism to the fire-box ofalocomotive. A i A 13. In a locomotive stoker,-in combination, a screwconveyer, revolving crusherw vanes receiving-from the conveyer,, arocker shaft parallel with the conveyer, abutments carried by the shaftand extending into the spaces between the vanes, means for rocklng theshaft, means for locking the' shaft against movement and means fordelivering fuel from such crusher mechanism. to the firebox of alocomotive.

14. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, means for transferring fuelfrom the locomotive coal bin, a'plurality of elevating meahs receivingfrom the transferring means and of combined capacity as great as that ofthe transferring means, and means for varying thg relative effectiveaction of the elevating means. p

15. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, means for transferring fuelfrom the locomotive coal bin, a plurality of elevating means receivingjifrom the transferring meansand of combined-capacity as great as that ofthe transferring means and means acting upon one of the elevating meansfor varying the relative effective action of the elevating means. Y .16.In a locomotive tender, in combination, a transferring screw conveyerhaving a gear wheel on the forward end of its shaft, an elevating screwconveyer receiving from the transferring conveyer, a shaft projectingfrom the lower end of the conduit of the elevating screw, a gear on suchshaft, a rack bar meshing wit the two named gears, and means foractuating the rack bar.

17. In a locomotive tender, in combination, a transferring screwconveyer havin a gear wheel on the forward end of its shaft, anelevating screw conveyer receiving from the transferring conveyer, ashaft projecting from the lower end of the conduit of the elevatingscrew, a gear on such shaft, a rack bar meshing with the two na medgears,

and a reciprocating motor for actuating the rack bar:

18. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, ,a transferring screwconveyer, a pair of elevating screw conveyers receiving therefrom, thedrive shafts of each 'of the' named .conveyers' projecting from thecon-- tiguous ends of thecasings thereof, a gear vmounted on theprojecting end of each of such shafts, a rack bar meshing-with all ofsaid gears, and means for actuating the rack bar. 1

19. In a locomotive stoker, in combination,'a transferring screwconveyer, a pair of elevating screw conveyers receiving therefrom, thedrive shafts of each-of the named conveyers projecting from thecontiguous ends of the casings thereof, a gear mounted on theprojectingge'n'd of each of such shafts, a-rack bar meshing. with all ofsaid gears, and a reciprocating motor for actuating the rack bar.

20. In a loc'omotivestoker, in combination, a transferring screwconveyer, an elevating screw conveyer. receiving therefrom,

gamma one with each ofrthe several eonveyers and 10 having ratchet andpawl connectlon with the shalt thereof, a rack bar meshing with each ofthe gears, and means for actuating the rack bar. 4

' NATHAN M. LOWER. I W itnesses:

R. Bnwm, E. M. Km'mm.

